Spring 2001 Table of Contents

Juncos are number one!

The Dark-eyed Junco is Washington's number one bird!

WDFW urban wildlife biologist Patricia Thompson reports that the junco shows up at the top of WDFW’s Winter Backyard Bird Survey's Most Widespread Bird List and the Top Ten Birds List every year for the past seven years of the survey.

This dependable little winter feeding station visitor weighs in at about 3/4 of an ounce, and has been clocked at flying 26 mph.

The Dark-eyed Junco comes in many disguises, all of which are the same species, Junco hyemalis. The "Oregon" and "Pink-sided" are the ones most frequently found in Washington. The "Slate-colored" form is less common and mostly seen east of the Cascades. One distinctive feature that says “junco” among all variations is the vertical, white outer tail feathers, always seen with the flick of the tail on a departing bird.

Dark-eyed Juncos used to be classified in the finch family Fringillidae and are still called a finch in some references. They have now been placed in the very closely related family Emberizidae which are the wood warblers, tanagers, cardinals, grosbeaks, buntings, blackbirds and sparrows. If you look in your field guide, juncos are likely placed among the sparrows, to which they are most closely related.

Even though migratory to Mexico, Dark-eyed Juncos are here year round, wintering and nesting in our state. They nest and forage primarily on the ground. These birds eat predominately seeds, but feed their nestlings exclusively insects for high protein. At feeders, Dark-eyed Juncos prefer black oil and hulled sunflower seed, peanut kernels, millet, thistle seed and occasionally suet mixes. Favorite nesting habitats are forests or forest edges, including backyards and urban parks. Nests are usually in a shallow depression made by the bird in soft ground, hidden by overhead vegetation, and often on the side of a bank. Nests are made of grass and twigs and other small vegetation, finished with fine, soft materials. Juncos very rarely nest in a shrub or tree but will build nests in the bowl of a fern. In the milder sections of the state, they can begin nesting in mid-March.

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